A conventionally used digital camera can shoot still images and moving images, and can record sounds during shooting. Image data obtained by shooting can be written into an external memory (see for example Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-91452 and 2002-359763).
In an exemplary digital camera shown in FIG. 28, a camera body 41 includes: an optical shooting system 42 with a lens, a CCD and the like; a camera signal processing circuit 43 for performing necessary processing upon a signal given from the optical image shooting system 42; an encoder 44 for encoding an image signal obtained from the camera signal processing circuit 43 by using JPEG or the like; an attachable/detachable memory card 47 into which an image signal obtained from the encoder 44 is to be written; a decoder 45 for decoding an image signal read from the memory card 47 by using JPEG or the like; a video output circuit 46 for outputting an image signal obtained from the decoder 45 to a display 49; and an interface 48 for making connection to a storage device 51.
The storage device 51 includes: a card drive 52 for reading a signal from the memory card 47; an interface 53 to be connected to the interface 48 of the camera body 41; a storage medium 54 such as a hard disk or the like into which a signal obtained from the card drive 52 or from the interface 53 is recorded; a decoder 55 for decoding an image signal read from the storage medium 54 by using JPEG or the like; and a video output circuit 56 for outputting an image signal obtained from the decoder 55 to a display 57.
In the digital camera described above, a photographic file, a moving image file and an audio file created by shooting can be written into the memory card 47. The photographic file and the moving image file can also be displayed on the display 49 after being read from the memory card 47.
Further, by connecting the storage device 51 to the camera body 41, a photographic file, a moving image file and an audio file written into the memory card 47 of the camera body 41 can be transmitted to the storage device 51. The photographic file and the moving image file can also be displayed on the display 57 connected to the storage device 51 after being read from the storage device 51.
The storage device 51 is constituted for example by a personal computer. Transmission of a file written into the memory card 47 of the camera body 41 to the storage device 51 is controlled by a control circuit (not shown) provided to the storage device 51. With the memory card 47 of the camera body 41 regarded as a memory external to the storage device 51, the control circuit transmits a file read from the memory card 47 through the interfaces 48 and 53 to the storage medium 54 such as a hard disk or the like.